This bill creates a statewide framework for expanding and managing all-terrain vehicle (ATV) recreation in New York. It establishes an ATV Recreation Fund, directs the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to oversee the fund in consultation with the Department of Environmental Conservation, and authorizes the use of fund revenues for trail administration, enforcement, education, trail construction and maintenance, and motorized access for people with disabilities. The bill also directs the state to develop rules and regulations intended to maximize ATV use while reducing environmental harm, and it contemplates a statewide network of designated ATV trails on state, municipal, and private lands.
The bill amends the Vehicle and Traffic Law to change ATV registration and fee rules, including requiring nonresidents from jurisdictions without ATV registration laws to pay an annual fee to operate in New York on lands other than their own private property. It also revises the definition of ATV to include utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) and raises the dry-weight threshold. In addition, it creates a trespass fine structure for ATV operators cited for trespass, with penalties escalating for repeat violations, and dedicates those fine revenues to the new fund. The bill further expands liability and safety provisions for ATV owners and operators, including insurance expectations and duties related to safe operation.
The bill’s environmental and land-use provisions are significant. It amends the Environmental Conservation Law to define connector trails and to allow, beginning April 1, 2027, public ATV use on certain forest preserve lands and other state-owned lands under DEC jurisdiction, subject to limits in the Adirondack Park and compliance with the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan. It also preserves existing trails and certain pending approvals, and allows limited use for persons with qualifying disabilities, as well as for administrative, law enforcement, and emergency purposes. Overall, the bill would substantially alter how ATV access is regulated on public lands and how related fees and penalties are collected and spent.
The general sentiment reflected in the bill text is supportive of expanded ATV recreation, access, and economic/recreational use, while emphasizing environmental protection and safety. The findings and operative provisions repeatedly stress balancing increased ATV access with minimizing environmental impacts, improving enforcement, and ensuring access for people with disabilities. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no direct evidence of debate or formal opposition in the supplied materials.
The main points of contention likely concern land access and environmental impacts. The bill would open or preserve ATV use on public and forest preserve lands, including limited access in the Adirondack Park, which could draw concern from environmental advocates, land conservation interests, and some local stakeholders. Other potentially disputed issues include the inclusion of UTVs in the ATV definition, the new fee structure for nonresidents, liability and insurance requirements, and the extent to which trail expansion and connector trails should be allowed on state lands versus protected from motorized use.
The bill would amend the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law, Vehicle and Traffic Law, State Finance Law, and Environmental Conservation Law to create a new ATV Recreation Fund and a broader statutory framework for ATV trail development, regulation, and enforcement. It would redirect certain ATV registration fees and trespass fines into the new fund, expand the legal definition of ATV to include UTVs, impose new duties and liability-related provisions on owners and operators, and authorize limited ATV use on certain state lands, including forest preserve lands under specified conditions. The measure would also affect state agencies by assigning oversight to Parks with DEC consultation and by requiring rulemaking for trail use, signage, and environmental protections.
The bill appears generally favorable toward ATV recreation and access, with a strong emphasis on organized trail systems, disability access, and public safety. Its structure suggests an attempt to balance recreation with environmental stewardship rather than to restrict ATV use. No committee transcript or vote data was provided, so there is no recorded legislative debate or roll-call sentiment beyond the bill’s text and stated purpose.
Likely areas of contention include the expansion of ATV access onto state-owned and forest preserve lands, especially in and around the Adirondack Park, where motorized recreation can conflict with conservation goals. Environmental groups may object to trail construction, connector trails, and broader public ATV use on protected lands, while ATV users and recreation advocates may support those provisions as overdue access expansion. Additional points of dispute may include the inclusion of UTVs, the new out-of-state fee requirement, trespass penalties, and the liability/insurance provisions imposed on owners and operators.